Golf putter



Nov. 23, 1965 w. c. DISHNER, JR 3,219,348

GOLF PUTTER Filed March 22, 1961 United States Patent 3,219,348 GOLFPUTTER William Clyde Dishner, In, 623 Detroit St., Flint, Mich. FiledMar. 22, 1961, Scr. No. 97,489 5 Claims. (Cl. 27377) The presentinvention relates to a new and improved golf club and more particularlyto a new and improved putter and grip or handle therefor whichintroduces and makes possible an entirely new approach to the techniquesof putting in the game of golf. Still more specifically, the presentinvention relates to a handle having a triangular cross section roundedat the intersections of the plane surfaces and admitting a new andstabilized means for gripping the club in correction of a substantialamount of human error in putting.

In golf the putter is perhaps one of the most important clubs to thegolfer. In general, it is more used than any other club and extremeaccuracy is required of it. As a consequence it is not surprising tofind that many players have experimented with the design and structureof putters. The choice of a putter involves a classification of theputters individual stance, club movement or motion during putting, andpreferences as to weight and weight distribution in the club head. Inaddition, putting style is more individualized than any other otherstroke in golfing. This has made the teaching of putting very difficultand the results of the teaching very spotty. Observers frequently remarkthat good putters succeed in spite of awkward stances, swings, andclubs. The actual modifications in putting irons or clubs have evolvedfrom wooden headed and weighted clubs using wood shafts to a variety ofweighted and shaped club heads either utilizing wooden or metal shafts.The connection of shaft to club has been off-center toward the heel ofthe club head and toward the side of the golfer. Recently observedputters have placed the shaft connection on the heel side of the clubhead and intermediate the center point between heel and toe. The resultof known putters has been firstly to place the player in an awkwardoffset from the ball so that the golfer has a ditficult time locatinghis eyes directly over the ball and on a line intersecting ball and cupor target. In attempting to achieve such a position the grip on thehandle portion of the club is unduly strained and if the conventionaloverlapping grip is used the player easily tends to pull or waver theclub face in addressing the ball, thereby spoiling the shot.Compensation by the golfer to achieve comfortableness and naturalness ofswing without pulling the shot is expressed in awkward stances and in awide variety of choked grips The present invention is therefore directedto supplying a club and grip therefor which represents a radicaldeparture from prior art putters and which allows the golfer to alignhis eyes with the line of putting while stroking the ball for impact atthe midpoint of the club face thus eliminating awkward putting stancesand preventing waver in the club head.

Thus, the principal object of the present invention is providing a new,improved, and useful putter structure.

Another object is to provide an improved putter grip or handle.

Another object is providing a shaft connection midway of the club faceand extending upward therefrom.

Still another object is in providing a moderate shaft angle so as topermit the player to present himself for ice natural alignment of hiseyes substantially over the ball. Still another object is in providing aputter system incorporating a structure which readily adapts itself to anatural physiological position assumed by the player. Other objects willbe readily appreciated by those skilled in the playing of golf as thedescription proceeds.

General description In general, the device comprises a handle having agenerally triangular cross sectional configuration. A shaft coaxiallyextends from the handle as is secured in the handle in an openingprovided therein. The lower end of the shaft is connected to a sleeve orclub head socket. The socket, in turn, merges or blends into the clubhead at substantially the center thereof. By this it is meant that theconnection rises from the top of the club between the club faces andmidway between heel and toe of the club. The stem piece or socket isthus centered at its connection to the club head midway between the heeland toe of the club face. The club face normally rises vertically fromthe sole plate portion thereof and the heel and toe of the club head aregently rounded, preferably on an are having its center located on avertical line extended upward from the sole plate and through theconnection of stem piece to club head. This preferred curve form reducesthe drag of the sole plate during putting thereby minimizing twistingmovement about the shaft as would occur if toe or heel wavered intocontact with the turf. The ball is thus struck midway between heel andtoe of the club on the line of connection as between club head and stem.The shaft is straight but is angled slightly from a vertical lineextended from the plane of the sole plate upward through the connectionof stem to club head. This provides an ideal offset for stance which isvery easily adjusted for height of the individual golfer by mereadjustment of shaft length. In one modification the slant of the shaftis established by the connecting angle as between stem and club head. Inanother form the stem piece rises vertically from the club head and isprovided with a terminal bend which portion receives the shaft. Theweight of the club head is adjusted as a matter of choice of weight andmaterials, and suitable ferrules well known in the art secure trimconnection as between shaft and handle or club head. The connection ofshaft to handle and stem or club head is fixed and rigid in any ofseveral well known manners. In use the putters thus designed have gainedenthusiastic reception.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a handle structure in accord with thepresent invention.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation view of a golf club in accord with thepresent invention gripped in accord with the preferred usage.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view indicating the positioning of palmsalong the cheeks of the handle, fingers overlapping, forefingersflanking the upper surface and thumbs positioned on the upper planesurface.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan enlarged view of a golf club in accord with thepresent invention.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation view of the structure shown in FIGURE 4 andindicating an exaggerated angular deviation between handle and vertical.

FIGURE 6 is a cross section through the handle taken on line VIVI ofFIGURE 4 and showing the position of hands on the handle in thepreferred grip position and indicating the rounded blending betweenplane surfaces.

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view illustrating the club and grip as viewed bythe player indicating the natural symmetry achieved by use of thepresent invention.

FIGURE 8 is a partial side elevation view of a modified form of clubhead and stem and indicating the small inclination of the shaft(somewhat exaggerated) from vertical as established by the bend in thestem-piece.

Specific description Referring particularly to the drawing and withreference to FIGURE 1, the handle 11 is generally triangular in crosssectional form, two adjacent legs of the triangular form providingplane-like cheek surfaces 12. The connecting plane surface 13 is a thumbledge or receiving surface as will be seen. The surfaces at contactbetween the generally plane surfaces 12 and 13 are softened by arcuateblending as shown. Some longitudinal taper at the fore and aft ends ofthe handle 11 is provided. Sharp edges are carefully avoided. The shaft14 extends from the fore end of the handle 11 and is secured in an axialrecess in the handle 11. The joint as between handle and shaft istrimmed as by the ferrule 15. Referring to FIGURE 2 it is seen that thethumb surface 13, in use, faces outwardly from the player 16 and thatthe handle 11 is positioned with cheeks 12 engaging the palms of theplayer in a natural (palms together) position with the forefingers 17flanking the thumb surfaces. The thumbs 18 rest naturally on the thumbsurface 13. The legs 19 of the player 16 can be easily positioned in anatural stance as shown and the shaft 14 thus extends midway between thelegs 19 of the player 16. The shaft 14 connects to the club head 20through the stem piece or socket 21 and the ferrule trim 22 neatlycloses the fit.

In FIGURE 3 the profile of the FIGURE 2 stance indicates best theinterlock of fingers 23 on the hands 24 over the grip 11. As seen inFIGURE 3 the connection of shaft 14 to the club head 20 is midwaybetween toe 25 and heel 26 and the shaft 14 is mildly angled from thecontact with the top of the club head 20.

In FIGURE 4 it is appreciated that the sole plate 27 of the club head 20is provided with flanking plane club faces 28 and 29 risingsubstantially vertically therefrom. Shifts from vertical are matters ofindividual preference with golfers. In general, the club faces 28 and 29approach right angles to the sole plate 27. The stem piece 21, which maybe integral with the club head 20, receives the lower end of the shaft14 in locked relationship. In turn, the handle end of the shaft 14 islongitudinally inserted in the handle 11 and is suitably locked thereinagainst twisting or removal. Ferrule pieces 15 and 22 close on the gapsat connection of shaft to handle 11 and stem piece 21 respectively. Asseen the thumb surface 13 of the handle 11 is outward facing and theputter, as illustrated, is useful in either right or left handedsettings. In use the thumb surface 13 is uppermost, as shown, anddefines a plane surface at right angles to a plane defined by shaft 14and club head 20 along its longitudinal center.

With reference to FIGURE 6, a cross section through FIGURE 4, thecontouring of the handle 11 is better appreciated in terms of thesurfaces 12 and the thumb surface 13. The axial shaft receiving recess30 defined by the handle 11 is very nicely shown. As seen, the pointeror forefingers parallel the blending contacts between the surfaces 12and 13 and serve as stabilizing guides to the club as it is swung. Theapex 31, modulated by rounding, is supported in the crook of theinterlocking fingers and the palms of the hands engage the cheeksurfaces 12.

In reference to FIGURE the shaft 14- is seen to connect with the clubhead 20 at a slight angle A defined between a vertical line risingthrough the connection at right angles to the sole plate 27. This angleis between about 2 degrees and 8 degrees and preferably between about 4degrees and 6 degrees and provides adequate offset for natural stance inpositioning of the player and handle. The ball contact area 32 is shownin phantom line substantially midway between heel 26 and toe 25substantially on an extended line through the contact between stem-piece21 and club head 20.

In FIGURE 7 the new hand grip as seen from the eyes of the player isshown with the hands 24 establishing very good and symmetrical controlover the club head 20.

In FIGURE 8 the modified form of club head 33 is shown for use with ahandle 11 as illustrated in FIGURES 1-5 and 7. The stem piece 34 risesvertically from midway between heel 35 and toe 36 and then bends toprovide an angled socket portion 37, crowned by ferrule 38 on shaft 39.This results in a goose-neck offset and the angle B as between avertical extension through the connection and the axis of the shaft isbetween about 2 degrees and about 8 degrees and preferably between about4 degrees and about 6 degrees. Greater and lesser angles at A and B tendto spoil the feel of the club.

In FIGURE 8 it will be noticed the sole plate 40 is in fact a curvedplane form rather than a flat plane form and blends with the roundedheel 35 and toe 36. The are of the sole plate 40 is preferably struckfrom a point on the line extending vertically through the connection asbetween stem 34 and club head 33. This substantially reduces drag ofeither heel or toe in use and is possible by reason of the fact thatideal ball con- .tact is midway of the club face 41.

Operationally, structures built in accord with the foregoing descriptionhave gained rapid acceptance and putting has been vastly improved.Teaching putting with the devices of the present invention has takenvery good strides in minimizing the variables previously arising fromawkward stance, failure of eye alignment with line of flight and faultystability of club face flowing from an unbalanced grip. The handles 11of the present invention have been molded directly to the shafts 14 inrubber, resin, and even in wood and wood laminates. The club heads 20and 35 have been cast from brass, bronze and steel as well as metalfilled potting resins. The putters prepared in accord with the presentdescription are amenable to both wrist and arm swinging and simulateideal pendulum presentation.

Having thus described my invention those skilled in the art willimmediately recongnize improvements and modifications, and suchimprovements and modifications are intended to be included herein,limited only by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

I claim:

1. A golf club comprising:

(a) a handle having a triangular cross section for substantially itsentire length, two legs of said triangular cross section comprisingconverging flat palm receiving cheeks and the third leg of said crosssection providing a thumb ledge of sufiicient width to accommodate twothumbs in side by side parallel relation;

(b) a shaft secured to said handle at one end thereof;

(0) a club head; and,

(d) a stem piece extending upward from the geometrical center of saidclub head, said shaft being socketed in said stem and said shaft beinginclined at an angle of between about 2 degrees and 8 degrees from aline extending through the geometric center of said club head andperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said club head.

2. A golf club as in claim 1 wherein the angle between said shaft andsaid perpendicular line extended through the geometric center of saidclub head is between about 4 degrees and 6 degrees.

3. A golf club comprising:

(a) an elongate handle having a rounded triangular cross section forsubstantially the entire length thereof, the uppermost leg thereofproviding a support for both thumbs of a player in parallel adjacentrelation, and the other two legs of said triangular cross sectionproviding converging palm receiving cheeks;

(b) a shaft extending from said handle and secured thereto;

(0) a stem piece into which said shaft is socketed; and,

(d) a club head having a bottom portion in a horizontal plane and saidstem piece extending upwardly from the geometric center of the uppermostsurface of said club and wherein said stem and said shaft are in asubstantially common plane and are inclined at an angle of between about2 degrees and 8 degrees from a line extending through the geometriccenter of said club head and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofsaid club head.

4. A golf club as set forth in claim 3 wherein said stern and shaft areinclined at an angle of between about 4 degrees and 6 degrees from saidperpendicular line.

5. A golf club as set forth in claim 3 wherein the ground engaging soleplate portion of said club head is substantially arcuate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis X273168Kelly et al. X273-163 Perkins X27380.1

Harness 27381 Sargent et al. 273 Fawick 27381 Park 27381 Sternberg etal. 27377 X Morrison 27380 X Stecher 27380 FOREIGN PATENTS 1908 GreatBritain. 1913 Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

EVON C. BLUNK, Examiner.

1. A GOLF CLUB COMPRISING: (A) A HANDLE HAVING A TRIANGULAR CROSSSECTION FOR SUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE LENGTH, TWO LEGS OF SAID TRIANGULARCROSS SECTION COMPRISING CONVERGING FLAT PALM RECEIVING CHEEKS AND THETHIRD LEG OF SAID CROSS SECTION PROVIDING A THUMB LEDGE OF SUFFICIENTWIDTH TO ACCOMMODATE TWO THUMBS IN SIDE BY SIDE PARALLEL RELATION; (B) ASHAFT SECURED TO SAID HANDLE AT ONE END THEREOF; (C) A CLUB HEAD; AND,(D) A STEM PIECE EXTENDING UPWARD FROM THE GEOMETRICAL CENTER OF SAIDCLUB HEAD, SAID SHAFT BEING SOCKETED IN SAID STEM AND SAID SHAFT BEINGINCLINED AT AN ANGLE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 2 DEGREES AND 8 DEGREES FROM ALINE EXTENDING THROUGH THE GEOMETRIC CENTER OF SAID CLUB HEAD ANDPERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CLUB HEAD.